Chapter 117

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Chapter 117: Do Not Do Challenge

They arrived at the private bathroom for their room number.

Next to the changing lockers, Naya first took off her clothing.

Iris stared fixedly at Naya.

Watching strand after strand of pure white fabric slip off Naya’s body, her cascading silver hair flowed with her alluring movements, like enchanting willow branches drifting forward, stirring up powerful waves.

“Naya, what exactly is the punishment?”

“You’ll know in a moment.”

Naya smiled meaningfully, raising her hand, palm facing Iris.

“Come, Iris, assist me in undressing.”

“What?”

“What’s wrong? Unwilling?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

Iris began feeling a bit confused.

But she looked at the clothing left on Naya and realized there was very little left.

“Aren’t you going to hurry up?”

Under Naya’s urging, Iris personally removed the last trace of fabric from Naya’s body, exposing boundless beauty in its most breathtaking form.

“So, Your Majesty, what is your punishment for me?”

“Help me wash my hair.”

Naya walked over and sat down at the edge of the bath.

Iris looked down at her own clothes.

Forget it. Since Naya wouldn’t help, she’d do it herself. She thought Naya would start confidently, hands moving up and down, beginning with bold words, following with outrageous remarks, and then ending in silence afterward.

Now, right from the start, Iris was already left speechless.

Like a maid, she was tending to Naya, washing her hair.

Iris couldn’t help but wonder, was the punishment simply that Naya wanted to treat her as a maid?

After finishing with Naya’s hair, Naya lay on the floor, arms crossed under her chin, with visible contours on either side.

“Apply the scented lotion on me.”

The scented lotion was a type of fragrant cream in this other world, similar to body wash on Earth.

Iris complied.

Her hands could practically block out the sun.

Was this really a punishment and not a reward?

“Do not touch! Behave yourself!”

Suddenly, Naya sharply stopped Iris’s inappropriate move.

Iris’s hand froze on Naya’s body, and she seemed to understand what Naya meant by punishment.

That is… Do not do challenges!

However, if it’s only this much, isn’t it underestimating me too much?

Night Attacked / Group / 694 / 936 / 135 [TL: I think this is the Author’s Group Info?]

Even if she couldn’t touch sensitive areas, for Iris, Naya’s entire body was a treasure, and just having her fingers touch Naya’s skin felt like a reward.

Yet, the following response left Iris completely stunned.

“Naya…”

“If you dare touch me, don’t think of sharing a bed with me ever again.”

Iris’s hand was pressed on Naya’s back.

“Aah~”

Hearing Naya’s delicate moan, Iris felt as if she heard a thread snapping in her mind.

To punish her, Naya went to such lengths.

“Massage properly, no tricks. Iris, this is your punishment, you must remain indifferent until this sauna session ends.”

“Yes… Your Majesty.”

For the first time, Iris felt so suppressed.

She thought Naya merely wanted to counterattack once.

Unexpectedly, Naya chose this method of hurting herself 800 times and hurting the enemy 1,000 times to punish her.

No!

Naya intentionally made strange sounds.

She felt this was the best tactic for punishing Iris.

If Naya really had listened to the system and attacked Iris once, she would lose 800 yuan to herself and 1,000 yuan to the enemy.

Before going after Iris, Naya had to consider her deep love for Iris, as she had a very clear understanding of herself.

Just as Iris would feel the urge to play the piano upon hearing her own voice, Naya would inevitably feel like playing it upon hearing Iris’s voice.

When the time comes, Naya, in her excitement, would lean into Iris, wrap herself around her arm, hook her fingers, and the two would share a passionate tango.

Naya knows herself too well, and she knows Iris even better.

Hearing her own voice wouldn’t affect her in the slightest.

But Iris? This lustful dragon would be unable to resist.

Naya was testing the edge of danger, to see if Iris could hold back.

If she couldn’t…

Well, Naya wouldn’t lose out. After all, she was more than willing to lie beneath Iris. 

And if Iris failed the challenge, it would only give her another reason to “punish” Iris again next time.

If Iris did manage to hold back, she still wouldn’t lose out.

After all, having the Dragon Queen massage her — who else could boast of such a privilege?

So Naya lay on the floor, her silver hair fanned out like a gleaming silver piano.

With each press from Iris, different notes would seem to emerge.

And yet Iris couldn’t touch any other part of Naya.

Thus, Iris had no way to awaken Naya’s desire to dance with her, she could only play a solo under Naya’s pretend singing.

Enough! She couldn’t take it anymore!

Iris leaned down, pressing on the back of Naya’s neck, straddling her waist.

“Iris! Wh-what are you doing? Get off me!”

“Woman, you’re playing with fire…”

Iris’s voice was low and husky, filled with restrained desire.

Naya began to panic.

She struggled to get up, but her strength was no match for Iris’s. 

She could only lie pinned to the floor, just as she was when she first encountered Iris, firmly in her grasp, unable to move.

“Iris, if you dare treat me this way, then we… Then we…”

“Then what?”

“Iris, do you really not think it was wrong to let Illya sneak out without telling me last night? Do you honestly have no remorse? Are you going to keep hiding things from me in the future? Was it wrong for me to punish you? If you can’t handle this, then how can you claim to love me?”

With Naya’s tearful, aggrieved scolding, the red in Iris’s eyes began to fade.

She realized she’d almost made a terrible mistake.

That was… to violate Naya against her will.

Iris quickly got off Naya, knelt by her side, lowered her head, and sincerely apologized.

“I’m sorry, Naya. I’m willing to accept this punishment.”

“So… will you remember what happened last night? Will you remember how angry I was?”

“I will.”

“That’s good…”

Naya got up and glanced at Iris, who wore a hurt expression, seemingly genuinely reflecting on her words.

Feeling a bit shaken herself, Naya decided it was safer not to let Iris help with the massage any longer, and in one swift movement, she slipped into the bath.

She turned her back to Iris, silent.

Without a word, a pair of hands pressed gently on Naya’s shoulders.

Naya shivered slightly.

“Your Majesty, please allow me to serve you properly. I won’t have any more improper thoughts. Please forgive my mistakes, both last night and just now.”

“Mmm…”

This time, Iris seriously massaged Naya, and Naya refrained from making any suggestive sounds.

Though holding back didn’t mean Naya wasn’t unwittingly making a few sounds here and there.

All thanks to Iris’s skillful touch.

Or rather, Iris had added magic to make Naya feel completely relaxed and at ease.

After some thought…

Naya realized her purpose in punishing Iris had been achieved, and since Iris had indeed reflected on last night’s events, there was no need to continue tormenting her.

Turning around, Naya suddenly grabbed Iris’s arm and pulled her underwater.

Bubbles rose to the surface, then gradually disappeared.

Under the water, the two shared each other’s breath.

Finally, one red and one white emerged from the water together.

Naya wrapped her arms around Iris’s neck.

“I love you, Iris.”

She gazed at Iris’s red eyes lovingly.

Once again, Iris’s pupils expanded within her view, warm breath brushing against her face.

“Punishment is not the goal, only a means. The punishment itself isn’t important; what’s important is that you understand I will be angry if you keep things from me.”

A gentle shimmer appeared in Iris’s red eyes.

“I’m sorry, Naya…”

“Earlier, I may have said a bit too much. I didn’t mean to deny that you love me, nor have I ever doubted your love. I just hope for us to be more harmonious, to address any conflicts in life promptly and correct them. That’s your bad habit, Iris, your Dragon King flaw, thinking you don’t need to report everything to others. But, to you, I am not someone else. I am your lover who will stay with you for the rest of your life. For something as important as Illya going out alone on a mission, how could you hide that from me?”

“There won’t be a next time.”

“That’s my good wife.”

Naya kissed Iris’s cheek, her eyes showing their usual warmth and kindness. 

“Alright, we should head back. If we stay too long, I’m afraid we won’t have time to react if something unexpected happens.”

“Mmm.”

They stepped out of the bath.

Dried themselves off and dressed.

Naya, hooking her arm around Iris’s, had let go of last night’s resentment, nestling into Iris’s side with a docile demeanor.

[Host…]

[What is it, System?]

[Sigh, never mind, as long as you’re happy.]

[System, I think you said something very true. Regardless, Iris and I should be working toward a more harmonious marriage. If proving my position in the household would bring her pressure or unhappiness, then I would rather spend my life beneath her.]

[Host…]

I’m moved to tears.

[Anyway, thank you for your suggestion, System. Even though I didn’t end up taking the lead, I believe I’ve solidified my position in the household, so there’s no need to waste time on anything trivial. After all, if I were to take the lead, it’d surely last a long time, and by the time Iris was exhausted, if the royal guards found us here, she’d be too drained to fight.]

She clearly just didn’t want to take the lead, yet came up with a whole bunch of reasons to justify it.

Who was it last time who cried out about being tired after just a little effort?

[As long as you’re happy.]

[Don’t be discouraged, System! I’ll definitely take the lead one day, just not right now — the timing’s just not right!]

[I believe you, Host.]

What else could it do but believe? It certainly couldn’t crush Naya’s confidence.

Ah, frustrated, defeated… When will my hopes for Naya taking the lead be realized?

…

Back in the room.

Bella had already returned with breakfast.

Illya was sitting at the desk, eating breakfast, while Hipper, to their surprise, was copying the “Three Character Classic” for her.

Hearing the door open, Illya looked over, hurriedly stuffing bread into her mouth, and snatched the quill from Hipper’s hand.

“Um! Mama, I… I wasn’t slacking off, see, let me explain. I was just having breakfast, and Hipper wasn’t feeling hungry, but she was curious about what I was writing, so she just held the pen to write a few characters with me.”

Naya nodded with a smile.

“It’s alright.”

Hipper turned around and looked at Naya blankly.

Why did it feel like this silver-haired woman’s entire demeanor had changed? She suddenly seemed like a gentle, nurturing wife and mother.

Before leaving, she had such a proud, “I’m the boss here; you all listen to me” attitude.

Now, Naya’s face appeared rosier, her expression gentler.

On the other hand, the red-haired dragon beside her looked even colder.

“Bella, how are things outside?” Iris looked at Bella.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, they’re conducting a city-wide search for three people: one with silver hair, one with red hair, and one with pink hair. If anyone sees this trio, they’re to report immediately, and the whole city is now on alert — no one can leave the city easily.”

Iris nodded.

“It seems we three can’t go out together.”

Naya walked over to Illya, looking at her and glancing at the paper. Hipper had only managed about two and a half repetitions.

Fine, let it go. A hundred copies was indeed a bit much.

However, it was Bella’s report that made Naya worried.

“Happy now, Illya? Thanks to you, we can’t visit any of Boros City’s sights anymore.”

The travel plans Naya had carefully crafted over three days were completely ruined.

Yet, Illya just held her head high, pride evident in her posture.

“Absolutely! I captured the princess, so nothing else matters. Having her with me is way more fun than any sight-seeing!”

Hipper lowered her head, her cheeks flushing.

Naya pressed her lips together, struggling to keep from laughing. Such a sweet talker already—miles ahead of her dense mother.

“Oh, right, Mama, could you check Hipper’s eyes? They’re all red and even bleed sometimes.”

“Wasn’t someone just saying Mommy should punish her Mother?”

Illya, startled, quickly set down her pen and ran to cling to Iris’s waist, putting on her sweetest pout.

“Pretty please, Mother? Hipper’s eyes look so painful, or she wouldn’t wear that eyepatch all the time. Please, help her out!”

Iris chuckled, ruffling Illya’s hair. 

“Next time, no more throwing me under the bus, got it? We’re on the same team.”

“Mmm-hmm!”

All in all, Iris came out ahead. Thankfully, Illya hadn’t spilled the real story to Naya. 

She wasn’t about to take the fall alone—that would have been embarrassing.

Besides, Naya’s “punishment” came sweetened, ending with two warm kisses.

Illya, if you’re going to lose, then lose completely!

But Iris still pretended to be at a disadvantage in front of Illya, and she was ungrateful after getting the advantage.

Iris also moved a stool and sat down next to Hipper, staring at the eyepatch covering Hipper’s left eye.

“Hipper, take off the eyepatch so I can have a look.”

Hipper hesitated, looking to Illya for reassurance.

Illya nodded encouragingly. 

“Don’t worry, Hipper. My mother’s amazing! She can fix anything, so just let her take a look.”

“But my eye only changes when I use my power.”

“That’s fine. Use it on me. Mental abilities don’t work on me, anyway.”

After a deep breath, Hipper reached up and slowly removed her eyepatch.

She activated her ability, and Iris watched as her left eye turned blood red, images swirling within her pupils. A spider lily bloomed within Hipper’s eye socket.

Iris shook her head, and the illusions in Hipper’s eye vanished.

Blood began to seep from the corner of Hipper’s eye, but it wasn’t as severe as when she’d used her power intensely on her servant the night before.

“As I thought…”

“What’s wrong, Mother? What’s happening?” 

Illya was quick to ask, her voice laced with worry as she saw blood welling in Hipper’s eye.

Iris picked up a handkerchief and gently wiped the blood away from Hipper’s face.

“Hipper, you carry vampire blood.”

“!!!”

Hipper’s eyes widened, her hands clenching tightly on her lap.

“A vampire?!” Illya echoed in shock.

Iris nodded. “This is a vampire skill—it allows one to implant memories in others’ minds, suppressing and even controlling those with weaker willpower.”

“But…I can eat human food just fine…”

“That’s because your blood isn’t pure. However, with each use of your ability, you’ll gradually transform, eventually needing blood to survive.”

Hipper sat there, stunned, absorbing the weight of her secret heritage.

No wonder her father had never allowed her to leave the palace.

“What… What should we do, Mother? If Hipper becomes a vampire, I can’t take her on a culinary tour of the world anymore!”

Iris shot a glare at Illya. All she ever thought about was eating—so hopeless!

Then she turned back to Hipper.

“Tell me about your mother. What happened to her?”

“My mother…” Hipper hesitated.

“Yes, go on.”

Iris recalled Illya’s recounting of a dream that included Hipper’s past.

“My mother was a witch—one who studied forbidden magic. She used to be one of my father’s closest aides. But when I was three, he had her executed. I hardly remember anything, and no one dared speak of her around me, or they’d be punished. Still, I remember her loving gaze. She loved me. After my father killed her, I hated him deeply, though to him, I was probably nothing more than a disposable tool.”

“Your symptoms suggest your father used you as an experiment. Likely, both he and your mother utilized witchcraft to turn you into a hybrid of human and vampire. The experiment seems to have failed, leaving you at risk of fully transforming into a vampire. This might be why he kept you hidden, to protect his secret or perhaps, to keep you safe, and why he ultimately killed your mother.”

“I… I…”

As Hipper recalled her confinement in the palace, her mouth went dry. 

In the mornings, she was given a glass of “tomato juice” she’d come to love.

Looking back now, she realized how strange it was. Today, without that “tomato juice”, she found herself without an appetite for breakfast.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing… But is it true? Do I really carry vampire blood?”

“My assessment isn’t wrong.”

“Can it be cured?”

“It can.”

“How?”

“Would you be willing to become a dragon?”

The question, delivered so nonchalantly, felt earth-shattering to Hipper.

Given humanity’s long-standing opposition to dragons, Hipper was taken aback. 

But she quickly realized her true desires and nodded enthusiastically.

“I am willing!”

If it meant gaining freedom, she would give up anything, even her human identity. 

There was nothing she wouldn’t sacrifice.

“Excellent,” Iris smiled.

“You now have one more reason to travel with us.”

“Woo-hoo!”

Upon hearing Hipper could become a dragon, Illya sprang from her chair, hugging Hipper tightly and cheering. 

But then, she remembered her experience in Bear Forest and the warnings of the dragon ancestors. The joy faded from her face as she turned to Iris.

“But Mother, isn’t it risky? What if Hipper isn’t strong enough? Her physique is so weak she can barely jump half a meter. Is there a chance she could… fail?”

If Hipper failed, drinking dragon blood could prove fatal.

“That’s correct. The success rate for transforming is closely tied to physical strength.”

Feeling Illya’s warm embrace, Hipper felt a spark ignite within her chest.

“I’ll train hard!”

“Good. Let’s finish our current mission before we focus on your transformation, Hipper.”

“Thank you, Queen of Dragons. I, Hipper, am eternally grateful.”

Iris smiled, understanding Hipper’s hidden thoughts perfectly well.

Naya watched the scene, arms crossed, observing Hipper intently.

Somehow, she had the feeling Iris had known Hipper’s secrets all along. 

Perhaps she had encouraged Illya’s fascination with the human princess, letting her pursue her plan as a way to bring Hipper into their fold.

Now, the goal of drawing the human princess to their side was complete.

Next step will be to reveal the King of Dia Kingdom’s scandal, support Hipper in ascending the throne as a dragon, and take full control of Dia Kingdom, right?

So, it turns out, the only one with a head full of naughty thoughts was Naya herself!